Relative Ages of Globular Clusters

Abstract

Ages of extragalactic globular clusters can provide valuable insights into the formation and evolution of galaxies. In this contribution the photometric methods of age dating old globular cluster systems are summarised. The spectroscopic approach is reviewed with an emphasis of the right choice of age diagnostics. We present a new method of quantifying the relatively best age-sensitive spectroscopic index given the quality of a data set and a certain theoretical stellar synthesis model. The relatively best diagnostic plot is constructed from the set of Lick indices and used to age date globular clusters in several early-type galaxies which are part of a large spectroscopic survey of extragalactic globular cluster systems. We find that, independently of host galaxy, metal-poor ([Fe/H] < -0.8) globular clusters appear to be old (t > 8 Gyr) and coeval. Metal-rich clusters show a wide range of ages from ~15 down to a few Gyr.